Let's talk about slugs

Y

Yankee Doodle

New member
I spend a good deal of time hunting in a shotgun only county in NY. I have been using the remains of my original BRI sabot slugs in my Savage bolt gun. These have been giving my groups of inch and a half to two inches at 100 yards. Unfortunately, I have run out of them.
Does anyone have any experience with the "Brenneke KO Sabot" round? I have heard that they are really good, and the price is right. What do you think? Where I hunt, the maximum range I can get a shot is just over 90 yards.
If you have any experience with this round, good or bad, please tell me about it.
Thank you
Y.D.
 
The best way to find out what shoots best in your gun is to try them. I have heard good things about them. Give them a try.

Every gun is different. My 870 loves the remington copper sabot rounds, my brother's only likes the winchester supreme NP. ( they launch at 1900FPS and really smack him around though) Another friend has a marlin bolt that is impressive with the federal barnes copper sabot.

If you were getting 2" at 100 yards then you have a nice shooting slug gun. You could also try to find old stock of your favorite BRI sabots, some dealers might still have some lying around or know where you canlook for them.
 
One slug I've found to be very versatile in a number of different guns is the Lightfield Hybred EXP. These don't cost quite as much as most of the "designer" high velocity slugs, and have been devastating on deer. At 1,454 fps at the muzzle (12 ga.), the 1 1/8 oz. slug retains plenty of energy and ballistic integrity to easily put down a whitetail at 100 yds. Between my boys and I, we've downed over 20 deer with this load, and I can attest to its effectiveness. I've tried the 3" Lightfield Commander also, but couldn't get it to group well in my 870. And, like most 3" slugs, it was not particularly comfortable to shoot. Give the 2 3/4" Hybred's a try; at 10 bucks a box retail, and discounted as low as 7, it's worth the investment.
 
The best cheap slugs are Rem Sluggers found at Wal-Mart.(5 or 15 packs)
The best high end are the Rem solid copper.

Both shoot the same POA out to about 75 yards then you have about a 1 to 1 1/2 inch drop from the sluggers -vs- coppers.
 
I've loosened my shoulder quite a bit testing slugs and will share my experience. One Mossberg after market 870 barrel, one 870 rifled barrel with bridge mount, and now a catilevered affair for the 870. All three have shot the Federal 1 oz Barnes expander most accurately. Dissapointing becasue I want one of the 2000 fps loads to be the best. Using Foster slugs has been interesting for my son and a friend, both who were surprised with good? accuracy for a few shots, then went to crXX. The grooves fill with lead pretty quick so if your're going the shoot the 2 bucks a box "rifled" slugs I'd plan to scrub lead every three to five shots for best accuracy.

The accuracy revelation for me this year was the Federal "tru-ball" in my 1964 870 with 20 "rifle sight" smooth bore barrel. Previously a five inch shooter at 50 yards. Now (no kidding folks) 1 3/4 inches all day long at 50 and in 5 at 100. This is many groups. Unbelieveable to me if I didn't see it myself. Of course it doesn't have much going for it at 100 yards energy wise.

Thanks for starting this "let's talk about slugs" thread. I thought I must be the only one dumb enough to care enough to do testing with these things. I'l like to hear other "best loads" experience. From what I've read here, I'll try the Copper Solids again. I used to hunt with them and terminal performance was seriously lacking. Only good thing I could say was a good blood trail, cause they just poked a small hole right through without doing much inside. Maybe re-designed by now and you guys say they are accurate.
 
Question answered

For whatever it's worth. I took a few of boxes of 3" 12 Ga. Brenneke KO Sabot Slugs to the range, and tried them out. I am totally sold. Although I didn't really do a truly comprehensive test, I did fire a total of three 3 shot groups, after zeroing at 75 yards. This is my normal sight in distance for slugs.
My average group size for the three groups was 1.78" center to center. This is with a Savage bolt gun, with a fully rifled barrel, off a bench.
Darn well good enough for me. If this isn't M.O.D. (minute of deer) I don't know what is.
The slugs shoot, the price is right, I am a winner.
Thanks to all.
Y.D.
 
I've only tried the older "foster-type" slugs out of one of my SxS shotguns, and they wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn. I don't know if it was the slugs or the shotgun. I had been warned that SxS shotguns weren't meant for slugs, and that might explain that. Fine for shot loads, but they're probably not good for any slug loads.
 
Dude, I've got a Savage bolt action - the best slugs I have found for it are the Hastings Laser Accurate. LASER ACCURATE is by no means an exaggeration...try em out, the 2 3/4...you won't be dissapointed!
 
I've looked around quite a bit, but couldn't find a complete list of "slug-only" states, only an article that said there are now 20 slug-only states. It did not list which they were.
 
Slug only states

Add Indiana to your list. Not totally slug only, just no high powered rifles. Handguns, slugs, bows, or muzzleloaders are OK. You can put any rifle caliber cartidge you want in your 14 inch handgun and it's legal. In a 16 inch rifle it's illegal.

Of course you can shoot your centerfire rifle all you want, just not at deer. You can shoot squirrels and crows, or any other thing with your 30-06 or 416 Remington. Too dangerous for deer though.
 
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Texas

Texas is obviously not slug only, but most of the Corps of Engineers lands and some state lands are slug only.

Given that the range of a good slug is now exceeding 100 yards, the whole "slug only" thing really still confuses me, but I guess they don't want a bullet traveling a mile and then hitting some old lady in a rocker on her front porch...

I have a Mossberg 500 with a rifled slug barrel/cantilever mount. I have found the Hastings slugs to be very accurate for it. I only hunt pigs with mine now (I mostly archery hunt), but the Hastings slugs work well. I installed a Limbsaver pad and added a little weight to the gun to reduce recoil and it has helped.

In my old slug gun I usually shot the Federal sabots and had good results.

I was/am good out to about 100 yards (3-4 inch group).

Todd
 
In my area, rifles are the norm when deer hunting. On the few times I do go with a shotgun, its the 879 Remington, with 20 inch rifle sight smooth bore barrel. After testing a number of different brands and styles, I have settled on the Brenneke KO slug. I get 2 inch accuracy between 50 and 75 yards or so, and they kill well.
 
8milimeter wrote "Maryland has 2-1/3 countys (western edge) that are rifle. The rest are shotgun only."

And those shotgun only counties are slug only, except Dorchester, where #1 buckshot and larger is permitted. I suppose that's for the sika deer over there; a slug would probably carry the little things halfway across Chesapeake Bay.
 
My 870 shoots Remington Coper Solids well. And, the Southern half of Michigan's lower penninsula is shotgun/muzzleloader only. Most guys go with the muzzleloader option. With today's new inlines you can shoot 200 yds.
 
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